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Prototype (episode)
A sentient robot enlists B'Elanna's help to make it possible for it to procreate. Summary Teaser The screen is black, although white noise can be seen occasionally. After a few seconds, the [[USS Voyager|USS Voyager]] comes into view, from a distance and in black and white. As the vessel grows nearer, the screen continues to flicker but a bar with constantly changing alien symbols appears at the bottom of the screen before disappearing seconds later. Suddenly, there is a sensation of the viewer being transported somewhere. The camera rematerializes in a transporter room aboard Voyager. Still in black and white, B'Elanna Torres can be seen next to an unidentified officer. She approaches, staring into the camera, and says that "it" is incredible. Tuvok joins her and reminds B'Elanna that it also poses a potential security risk. Janeway looks on curiously as B'Elanna observes that it is losing power. Although Tuvok suggests that they let the power source run out and observe it while it is incapacitated, B'Elanna insists that they may not be able to get it to work again and wil have lost a valuable opportunity to study it. Erring on the side of exploration, Janeway agrees with B'Elanna and gives Tuvok a teasing look. As the three of them gaze at the camera, the picture becomes fuzzy and cuts to static. When it returns to normal almost immediately thereafter, the camera is in main engineering and the picture is fuzzier than before. "The power's surging," B'Elanna announces as she appears and uses some sort of tool on the camera. Meanwhile, Harry Kim waves a wand-like tool to the side. He asks her if an interface with an EPS power conduit would work. While she says the energy signatures are incompatible, B'Elanna notes that the interface might buy them some time. Harry retrieves a cord and they plug it in soewhere near the camera. B'Elanna tells Harry to produce a two-second burst at 5% of maximum output, but the enrgy transferrance is unsuccessful and the screen begins to fade more often, more white than black now. "We're losing it," observes Bl'Elanna, ordering a burst with less power. The camera begins to stabilize as the seconds transferrance is performed, and it turns toward a screen on an adjacent wall. As the camera zooms in, Harry and B'Elanna's hands can be seen performing the operations in question and their subject's metallic, humanoid-shaped head can be seen. Act One As B'Elanna and Harry continue to work on the metallic creature, she estimates that they will be able to keep it running for another eighteen hours despite the large amount of damage it has suffered. They attempt to establish what it is and determine that it is not a cyborg as it is completely robotic. Based on the fact that it has arms, legs, and a head, they establish that it was designed to perform motor functions, but Harry is unable to detect any pathways by which it transmits information. B'Elanna discovers that it runs not on EPS flow but on a foreign type of superconducting plasma. The robot emits a series of sporadic sounds and its head jerks back and forth, but they are unable to make out what they are. While B'Elanna is convinced the robot is trying to speak, Harry reminds her that they do not know for sure that it is even aware of them. He notes that they have been working on the robot for hours and B'Elanna tells him she could use some time alone to think. At this, he jokingly insists that he can stay up as long as she can, but when the lieutenant threatens to make it an order, he concedes the point. However, he reminds B'Elanna to tell him if she discovers anything new. :Chief engineer's log, supplemental. I've tried thirteen different methods of reinitializing the robot's power source, and I'm still having no luck, so I've decided to go to the mess hall to recharge my own power reserves. B'Elanna sits in the deserted mess hall, which is dark save for the light emanating from the kitchen, where Neelix cook's the crew's breakfast. Sipping her coffee, she requests another pot from Neelix, who cordially reminds her that breakfast is not served for another hour and a half before offering her a glass of traggle nectar. He even offers to make his special Jamalian omlette. She stubbornly insists on coffee, but Neelix reminds her that two pots of Landras blend is the absolute limit. "You're cutting me off?" B'Elanna asks incredulously. Neelix simply shrugs his shoulders as if to say, "I don't make the rules." Joining B'Elanna, he asks about the status of their mechanized guest. She has only been able to postpone the inevitable, and she compares the situation to a bleeding artery. He tried more Spith basil, less prishic, and so on until he fell asleep. The answer came to him in a dream: He had forgotten a spice. Sarcastically, B'Elanna guesses leola root. The spice was Nimian sea salt — the most common ingredient in the galaxy — but he was too tired to see it. Neelix's analogy is not lost on B'Elanna, but she chooses to ignore it and repeats her request for coffee. Neelix orders B'Elanna to bed in a stern but affectionate tone, so she reluctantly agrees. Once again in main engineering, an exhausted B'Elanna stands over the robot to ask if anyone is home. She pretends to hear the robot tell her to go to bed. "Well, I guess I'm outnumbered," she tells herself and walks off. However, once in her quarters, B'Elanna turns out the lights and gets in bed only to have a sudden inspiration much as Neelix did in his story. She immediately hurries to Sickbay. As B'Elanna, activates the Emergency Medical Holographic Program, the Doctor appears and makes his usual statement. He looks at B'Elanna, who did not take the time to change into her uniform and wears a pair of red pajamas, sarcastically asking if there has been a change in the official dress code, as no one informed him of such a change. B'Elanna impatiently explains that her current attire is what she sleeps in. The hologram assumes that her haste is due to a medical emergency, but it is actually an engineering problem. Thinking the matter over, the hologram reminds her he is a doctor, not an engineer. However, this is not a typical engineering problem. Kes has told the Doctor about the "mechanical man," so he is aware of the situation. Due to a leak in the robot's power suppply, B'Elanna says he will "die" unless find a way to fix it. The problem is that the plasma from which the robot derives its energy is contaminated and has begun to decay. Using a medical analogy for the situation, the Doctor compares the contaminated plasma to diseased blood and suggests a transfusion from voyager's warp plasma. The suggestion gives B'Elanna reason to pause as she considers how different the two types of plasma are, and she reasons that the warp plasma is too highly charged for the robot's systems. In medical terms, the transfusion would be comparable to giving a Bolian a transfusion using Vulcan blood, which the Doctor notes would normally kill the Bolian. However, he adds that in rare instances where artificial blood was unavailable, existing blood cells have been genetically altered to make such transfusions possible. As B'Elanna thinks, she slowly begins to formulate a plan using an anodyne relay, but rather than explain the technobabble to the Doctor, she runs toward main engineering. "That's exactly what I was going to suggests," he tells himself sarcastically. Harry and Janeway join a now-dressed B'Elanna in engineering, where Janeway asserts that it is B'Elanna's "show" and they will proceed when B'Elanna is ready. B'Elanna confidently activates the relays and instructs Harry to start the plasma flow, but as they proceed, they find that the energy levels are still too high. They manage to stabilize the flow as the plasma begins to circulate throughout the robot; shortly thereafter, the robot's arm reaches up and grabs B'Elanna. It politely asks her to identify herself. After she does so, the robot states that it is automated unit 3947 and thanks her for reactivating it. Act Two :Chief Engineer's log, supplemental. The robot's power module is continuing to function normally using plasma from our warp engines. Repairing its systems has taught me more about robotics than I ever could have learned at Starfleet Academy. B'Elanna stands in front of a seated 3947 as she scans him with a tricorder, optimistic that they are past the critical stage. 3947 concurs and reports that his self-diagnostic systems estimate he is running at 68% of optimal efficiency. Matching the Automated Personnel Unit's matter-of-fact voice, B'Elanna calls him an extremely well-designed machine, to which he calls her an extremely proficient humanoid. Despite the fact that 3947 is a robot, it is obvious that B'Elanna is growing fond of him. Background Information * This is the last Star Trek episode directed by Jonathan Frakes. * B'Elanna Torres mockingly refers to Harry Kim as "Starfleet" at one point, a recurring nickname from the Voyager series premiere, "Caretaker." * The plot of this episode was largely inspired by I, Robot. * Torres records several "supplemental" personal logs, a term used for additional logs recorded on the same stardate. However, the stardate on which she records these logs is never mentioned. * None of the Automated Personnel Units is specifically assigned a sex; however, their voices sound distinctly male. * The ultimate fate of the Automated Personnel Units is unknown, although it is plausible that the Pralor units were able to salvage Torres' work on the prototype unit. * Although parts of this episode, particularly the first act, are often cited as an example of Voyager's heavy reliance on technobabble, the episode as a whole has become a fan favorite. Memorable Quotes "Automated personnel unit 3947 is an extremely well-designed machine." "Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres is an extremely proficient humanoid." : - B'Elanna Torres and 3947 Links and References Guest Stars *Rick Worthy as: ** 3947 ** 122 *Hugh Hodgin as: ** 6263 ** 0001 References 47; android; anodyne relay; Automated Personnel Unit; Bolians; Builders; chromodynamic power module; Cravic; Data; Jibalian omelette; Landras blend; Nimian sea salt; Pralor; Prime Directive; prishic; prototype; Spith basil; B'Elanna Torres; Traggle nectar; tripolymer plasma; Vulcans. Timeline *2222 *2372 Category:VOY episodes de:Prototyp (Episode) nl:Prototype (aflevering)